China responds to shootings in Zambia

Police Tuesday afternoon chased United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) youths from the Chinese embassy.

The opposition youths led by PF’ national youth leader Eric Chanda and UPND Lusaka youth coordinator Brian Haapunda wanted to lodge a writen and formal complaint to the embassy over the Chinese nationals who shot Zambian miners.

The youths had made an appointment with the embassy and had just reached the embassy when armed police appeared and ordered them to disperse.

The youths tried to resisst but were pushed away by police. Chanda was later heard vowing that ‘we will demonstrate.’

Meanwhile, China says it will work closely with Zambia to properly settle disputes between a private Chinese company and its Zambian employees, foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in China on Tuesday.

Zambia police on Monday charged with attempted murder two Chinese managers, who shot Zambian miners during a clash sparked by disputes over working conditions at the Chinese run coal-mine in the southern town of Sinazongwe.

“The Chinese embassy in Zambia has taken timely measures to cope with the incident, such as to direct relevant companies to properly handle disputes and to visit the victims and their family,” Ma told a regular briefing.

Ma said the matter was largely resolved but China would keep cooperating closely with Zambia to ensure any outstanding issues were settled according to law and safeguard the security and legitimate interests of Chinese companies and personnel, he said.